Coda Means It's Over
by theatrekid02
Summary: Oneshot of what went through Daryl's mind during the final scene of 'Coda'. Rated T for language. Bethyl. REVIEWS P/TY :)
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Daryl watched with anxious eyes when she crossed over into her rightful group. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel his fingers twitch with anticipation. As she neared him, he internally panicked. When it came to words, how do you even start? What the hell do you say first?

 _Beth, I swear I ran after that goddamn car till tha sun rose up behind the woods and I didn't have a shallow breath left in my lungs._

 _Beth, you gotta believe I never stopped lookin' for ya, not even after I found tha group._

 _Beth, I ain't never lettin' ya outta my sight again._

 _Beth, I love ya._

The last one he quickly shook from his mind and it made him feel like a dirty old man. Because of this, Daryl only managed a gentle touch to her shoulder as she passed him and went to hug another member of their group.

He was instantly alarmed. Had she just ignored him? Was she angry at him for not saving her? Daryl grimaced. Of course she was. Had he been in her position, he would be pretty pissed off too. But...that still didn't mean she was gonna be mad forever. Daryl was damned pleased with just the fact that she was with him again. Still, he thought her reunion might've deserved to be in a place more special, like a field of wildflowers or something other than a fancy-ass hospital that reeked of antiseptic or some shit.

Then the police lady said she needed the tall black kid too.

"That wasn't part of the deal," protested Rick.

"Noah was my ward," she said. "Beth took his place and I'm losing her so I need him back."

They continued to argue and Daryl found himself stepping forward and adding a "He ain't stayin'." If the boy didn't wanna be there then he sure as hell had no law telling him he had to.

Daryl looked at him curiously when eventually the boy actually agreed to stay. He was saving some people he hardly knew from a potential shootout, and for what? To be locked up in here like some house cat again? Daryl suspected that the hospital people wouldn't be so friendly to him after his return, either. Why would he do that?

"Wait!"

It was her little singsong voice piping up like that to make chills ripple down Daryl's spine. He watched her reach up gingerly and hug the black boy, and he felt a sharp pang of jealousy.

Beth. Beth was why he would do that.

The police lady muttered something and it evidently was not good because Daryl saw Beth flash open her eyes in an enraged sort of way. She let go of Noah and slowly made her way to the woman.

 _She's gonna fuckin' chew her ass out_ , Daryl thought. _That's my Beth!_

"I get it now," was all she uttered. This confused him. What the hell was she talking about? Daryl saw her fingering the lining of her arm cast and before he could wonder, she had pulled out some sort of metal tool and in one swift motion thrusted it at the police lady's collarbone.

A gunshot rang out.

Daryl flinched from the unexpected boom and he could hear the bullet shell clinking on the floor, echoing in the hall. When he opened his eyes, Beth was on the ground.

No. This couldn't be real. Beth was fine. Beth had just been reunited with him. Beth was going to run outside the door and go hug her awaiting sister. Beth was going to go with them on the trip to Virginia. Beth was going to listen to him when he tells her about chasing that car. Beth was going to know that he loved her.

But Beth had a hole in her forehead and was lying in a puddle of blood.

It finally dawned on Daryl when he looked up at the police lady who was shaking her head and saying 'I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it.' He did not hesitate to grab his gun from the holster and put a hole in _her_ forehead.

Everyone was raising their guns around him but all he could think was 'Beth is fuckin' dead' over and over. He stared at her lifeless body; an island in a sea of crimson blood. He stared at the blood until he could wrap his mind around the idea of her being gone. Daryl heard himself involuntarily whimpering and he so desperately tried to keep his composure until he felt Carol's timid hand on his shoulder and he fell to his knees.

They were talking with the hospital people but Daryl couldn't hear anything except the ringing in his ears. He pulled Beth onto his lap, still warm as if she were only sleeping. She was so small. So defenseless-looking with all the blood pouring out of her head. He gently wiped her face with his leathery fingers, crying. What would Merle think if he saw him like this?

He must've been sitting there in her blood for awhile because Carol nudged his arm again and when he looked up, the hospital people were gone and the group was leaving.

He stood up with her frail body in his arms and numbly followed behind them. Beth would never know about how he felt. And he would never know if she felt the same way. Daryl had a hunch that she did. She was just _this fucking close_ to kissing him back at the funeral home before the hoard showed up. He saw how her face went red and how she shivered if he was holding her hand or carrying her or just touching her at all. He noticed how she would stare at his lips if they had been talking for a long time.

But he'd just been too goddamn stupid to ever make a move. That last dinner they had, that would've been a perfect chance. And he missed it. He missed it because he was a scared little pussy that was too afraid of being rejected. Too afraid of her calling him a dirty old man. Too afraid she would tell him he could be her daddy, she's that young.

Daryl stepped into the drastically bright outside and tightened his grip on her body. He couldn't bring himself to look at her peaceful little face again, he knew it would send him over the edge. He could just hear Merle's voice in his head:

 _This is what ya get when ya get too attached to some bitch after tha world's gone ta shit, little brother._

Daryl sniffled and upon stepping forward a little more triggered Maggie's heart wrenching scream. And that was the moment he knew it was all over.

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End file.
